1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,520 And the thing about idolatry? Is that it works predictably in 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,880 all of our. It makes us go out of our right 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:07,760 mind. Doesn't. 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,240 It at the end of the story it's the demon possessed man who's in 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,120 his right. Mind in the Village People. 6 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:19,640 Who are out of their. I think one of the most 7 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:24,280 difficult things in life in a fallen world is this dynamic. 8 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:25,360 It's met with resistance. And maybe you've seen this 9 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,760 dynamic before, maybe you've experienced this dynamic. 10 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:33,240 But in a fallen world, sometimes when Jesus does a mighty work 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:39,320 rather than being. So I remember my my first year 12 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,040 of pastor. I remember experiencing this. 13 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:42,960 We were planting Frontier seven years ago. 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,360 First year of planting, not a lot of things are going right. 15 00:00:46,850 --> 00:00:48,250 Not a lot of things are going well. 16 00:00:48,610 --> 00:00:50,850 Not a lot of wins in that first year of planting. 17 00:00:51,090 --> 00:00:54,410 I remember having a win. There was one Sunday where after 18 00:00:54,410 --> 00:00:56,570 a sermon, I had a buddy come up to me and he was like. 19 00:00:56,570 --> 00:00:59,250 Dude, that was like. One of the most powerful sermons 20 00:00:59,250 --> 00:01:02,490 I've ever heard, and the Lord. Used it to build me up and blah 21 00:01:02,490 --> 00:01:03,970 blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. 22 00:01:04,129 --> 00:01:06,970 Now, I hadn't heard a lot of that in my first year of 23 00:01:06,970 --> 00:01:09,830 pastoring, so that was a really big win tonight. 24 00:01:09,830 --> 00:01:12,830 We're like getting there at 5:30 AM at woolies and scraping 25 00:01:12,830 --> 00:01:15,710 tobacco spit off the floor and like, man, what am I doing with 26 00:01:15,710 --> 00:01:17,630 my life? I miss being an English. 27 00:01:17,630 --> 00:01:20,030 Teacher, I love this, but what am I doing with my life? 28 00:01:20,270 --> 00:01:22,790 Is anybody going to show up? Not a lot of wins. 29 00:01:22,910 --> 00:01:25,670 So when I got that encouragement, I really took 30 00:01:25,670 --> 00:01:28,310 that to heart. And I'll never forget how 31 00:01:28,310 --> 00:01:31,510 disheartening it felt when I. Shared that with a buddy and it 32 00:01:31,510 --> 00:01:35,270 was met with resistance. It's like, hey man, this, this 33 00:01:35,270 --> 00:01:37,630 church member said that this was one of the most powerful sermons 34 00:01:38,140 --> 00:01:40,540 he's experienced. It just feels good to like be 35 00:01:40,540 --> 00:01:43,460 used by God in in a. Mighty way, he said That. 36 00:01:43,460 --> 00:01:45,500 It built him up in this way and that way. 37 00:01:45,780 --> 00:01:48,980 And I'll never forget having my buddy look at me and say, yeah, 38 00:01:48,980 --> 00:01:49,860 he doesn't really know what he's. 39 00:01:49,860 --> 00:01:52,380 Talking about does he and I was like? 40 00:01:52,900 --> 00:01:57,500 Oh my goodness, I just. What is that? 41 00:01:59,140 --> 00:02:03,010 What is that? I was talking to a church member 42 00:02:03,450 --> 00:02:06,410 last year and this is. A story that's just stuck with 43 00:02:06,410 --> 00:02:09,490 me ever since I heard that. Story She's just like one of the 44 00:02:09,490 --> 00:02:12,610 coolest people ever. And so it's just jaw-dropping 45 00:02:12,610 --> 00:02:14,850 when you hear stories like this. I was talking to her about. 46 00:02:15,090 --> 00:02:17,930 How Jesus saved her and transformed her in college and 47 00:02:17,930 --> 00:02:20,450 she was talking about. How you know, being in college 48 00:02:20,450 --> 00:02:23,540 was awesome because she was finally surrounded with like a 49 00:02:23,540 --> 00:02:25,740 group and a community of young people who were, like, 50 00:02:26,140 --> 00:02:28,700 passionate and on. Fire for Jesus. 51 00:02:28,700 --> 00:02:30,620 And so she was passionate and on. 52 00:02:30,620 --> 00:02:32,660 Fire for Jesus. And she went home for the 53 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:36,500 summer, and she was like reading her Bible every day, praying 54 00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:40,380 every day on fire for. Jesus, like every day. 55 00:02:40,380 --> 00:02:43,260 And it's the type of thing that when when you experience that 56 00:02:43,260 --> 00:02:45,980 fire, what we need is for that to be flamed, right? 57 00:02:46,780 --> 00:02:48,740 And so. There she is just flourishing in 58 00:02:48,860 --> 00:02:50,980 Jesus, loving her walk with the Lord. 59 00:02:51,420 --> 00:02:56,860 And one day her mother came up to her and said, I miss the old 60 00:02:56,860 --> 00:03:01,740 you. What is that? 61 00:03:03,900 --> 00:03:06,180 What? What is that and human nature 62 00:03:06,180 --> 00:03:08,940 that? Does that you see a buddy of 63 00:03:08,940 --> 00:03:11,780 yours finally begin to grow in? Christ likeness. 64 00:03:12,290 --> 00:03:16,330 You see a sister of yours begin to succeed and take risks and 65 00:03:16,410 --> 00:03:19,330 experience success. And there's something in you. 66 00:03:20,410 --> 00:03:24,130 That just can't celebrate, right? 67 00:03:24,210 --> 00:03:26,290 It's like being at the. Bottom of a crab barrel. 68 00:03:26,290 --> 00:03:29,650 You see another crab escaping and you want to reach up, grab 69 00:03:29,650 --> 00:03:32,090 them and pull them back. Down in the crab barrel. 70 00:03:32,290 --> 00:03:35,710 What is that? And we're going to see that in 71 00:03:35,710 --> 00:03:39,190 our text this morning. Jesus is going to do an amazing 72 00:03:39,190 --> 00:03:43,310 work of healing where he. Just clearly shows His divine 73 00:03:43,310 --> 00:03:45,670 identity as the Son. Of God. 74 00:03:45,910 --> 00:03:51,070 And rather than having that miracle celebrated, it's going 75 00:03:51,070 --> 00:03:54,310 to be met with. I want you to see that this 76 00:03:54,310 --> 00:03:57,230 morning and I want you to be asking yourself this question. 77 00:03:57,550 --> 00:04:00,390 What is that? Let's stand for the reign of 78 00:04:00,390 --> 00:04:11,940 God's Word Mark 5. Jesus has just still the sea. 79 00:04:12,620 --> 00:04:15,100 He gets to the other side. And verse one picks up right 80 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:16,740 here. They came to the. 81 00:04:16,740 --> 00:04:18,740 Other side of the sea to the country of the. 82 00:04:20,019 --> 00:04:22,940 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there 83 00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:26,460 met him out of the tombs. A man with an unclean spirit. 84 00:04:26,860 --> 00:04:30,780 He lived among the tombs and no one could bind him anymore, not 85 00:04:30,780 --> 00:04:33,780 even with a chain. For he had often been bound with 86 00:04:33,780 --> 00:04:37,340 shackles and chains. But he wrenched the chains 87 00:04:37,340 --> 00:04:39,180 apart. And he. 88 00:04:39,180 --> 00:04:42,260 Broke the shackles and pieces no one had. 89 00:04:42,260 --> 00:04:45,460 This strength to subdue him night and day among the tombs 90 00:04:45,460 --> 00:04:48,780 and on the mountains. He was always crying out and 91 00:04:48,780 --> 00:04:54,060 cutting himself with stones and when he saw Jesus from afar, he 92 00:04:54,060 --> 00:04:59,660 ran and fell down before him and crying out with a loud voice, he 93 00:04:59,660 --> 00:05:00,840 said. What? 94 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:05,400 Have you to do with? Me, Jesus, Son of the Most High 95 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,080 God. That's what he calls Jesus. 96 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,880 Son of the Most High God. I adjure you by God. 97 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,960 Do not torment me, for, he was saying to him. 98 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,120 Come out of the man you want clean spirit and Jesus asked 99 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:19,280 him. What is your name? 100 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,880 He replied. My name is Legion, for we are 101 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,560 many. My name is Legion, for we are 102 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,820 many. And he begged him earnestly not 103 00:05:30,820 --> 00:05:34,460 to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was 104 00:05:34,460 --> 00:05:37,340 feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, 105 00:05:37,540 --> 00:05:39,340 send us. To the pigs, let us. 106 00:05:39,340 --> 00:05:42,620 Enter them. So we gave them permission, and 107 00:05:42,620 --> 00:05:44,220 the unclean spirits came out of the and. 108 00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:58,960 Came out and entered. And people from the village came 109 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:00,760 to see what it was that had happened. 110 00:05:45,340 --> 00:05:49,260 The pigs in the herd, numbering about 2000, rushed down the 111 00:05:49,260 --> 00:05:52,100 steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. 112 00:05:52,860 --> 00:05:55,900 The herdsman fled and told it in the city and in the country of. 113 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,480 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon possessed man, the one 114 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,600 who had the legion sitting there clothed and in his right mind. 115 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,360 And they were afraid. And now and those who had seen 116 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:15,800 it described to them what had happened to the demon possessed 117 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,120 man to the pigs. And they began to. 118 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:23,760 Praise Jesus and worship. Jesus and give their lives. 119 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:28,300 To Jesus, right? Now look at the text they began 120 00:06:28,300 --> 00:06:29,900 to. Beg Jesus to depart. 121 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:34,580 From their region, Jesus Get out of here and as he was getting 122 00:06:34,580 --> 00:06:36,220 into the boat. The man who had been possessed 123 00:06:36,220 --> 00:06:40,020 with demons begged him that he might be with him, but Jesus did 124 00:06:40,020 --> 00:06:42,980 not permit him, but said to him, Go home to your friends and tell 125 00:06:42,980 --> 00:06:45,020 them how much. The Lord has done for you and 126 00:06:45,020 --> 00:06:47,260 how He has had mercy on you, I don't think. 127 00:06:47,300 --> 00:06:49,140 Jesus is being mean to this man, but. 128 00:06:49,220 --> 00:06:52,300 Jesus is being kicked out of this region, so for him to send 129 00:06:52,300 --> 00:06:54,660 a missionary is what his it's. Strategic he's. 130 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,520 Sending this dude back into that region with the gospel. 131 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,480 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how 132 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,520 much Jesus had. Done for him and everyone 133 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,960 marveled. Jesus, does this mighty work 134 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:13,840 right and. It's met with resistance, right? 135 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:19,480 We miss the old you we miss. What is that? 136 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:30,790 You guys can have a seat. I'm going to need this. 137 00:07:30,790 --> 00:07:35,350 I feel like I'm talking in like a jazz voice. 138 00:07:35,350 --> 00:07:41,150 You know? Start like a soothing like. 139 00:07:41,150 --> 00:07:44,270 Radio Jazz with Cole right now. It's not a good, it's not a good 140 00:07:44,270 --> 00:07:49,430 look for me, but it's like, where do you? 141 00:07:49,430 --> 00:07:52,520 Even start with the story like this, right You've got you've 142 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,080 got a demon possessed man, You've got a man possessed by 143 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,960 many demons. As though things couldn't get 144 00:07:57,960 --> 00:07:59,880 more metal. All the sudden there's demon 145 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:04,800 pigs, Demon pigs, which I think would probably make a great 146 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,280 movie. Or at least like a a metal band 147 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,360 name, right? It's Upward Demon. 148 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,610 That's got to exist, right? It's just the wildest. 149 00:08:12,930 --> 00:08:14,770 So let's start where the story starts, which is at the 150 00:08:14,770 --> 00:08:18,050 beginning of the. Story So Jesus has just still 151 00:08:18,050 --> 00:08:20,850 the storm with his disciples. He crosses the sea. 152 00:08:21,170 --> 00:08:26,170 He's beginning to start and initiate his mission in in a non 153 00:08:26,170 --> 00:08:28,490 Jewish and a gentile area and as. 154 00:08:28,490 --> 00:08:31,350 Soon as he gets. As soon as he gets to the 155 00:08:31,350 --> 00:08:34,390 shoreline, all of a sudden there's a demon possessed man 156 00:08:34,510 --> 00:08:37,429 who's rushing down and meets him right there, which is like think 157 00:08:37,429 --> 00:08:39,990 about that by the way, from the perspective of think about that 158 00:08:39,990 --> 00:08:41,350 from the. Perspective of the disciples? 159 00:08:41,350 --> 00:08:43,470 That's terrifying to say the least, right? 160 00:08:44,310 --> 00:08:47,430 I mean, there's so many. Scary details in this text. 161 00:08:47,430 --> 00:08:49,790 There's so many Scary. Details in this text that I feel 162 00:08:49,790 --> 00:08:53,710 like it makes like the 1970s. Horror classic The Exorcist look 163 00:08:53,710 --> 00:08:57,070 tame. This, this big, strong, demon 164 00:08:57,070 --> 00:09:00,390 possessed man immediately is running down to the shoreline to 165 00:09:00,390 --> 00:09:02,830 meet the Disciples. When I was in Colorado a couple 166 00:09:02,830 --> 00:09:05,310 years ago, I'll never forget my dad's disappointment in me. 167 00:09:06,390 --> 00:09:10,110 He was so disappointed in me. We we were kayaking in in in 168 00:09:10,110 --> 00:09:13,790 Colorado together and we were in really really really shallow 169 00:09:13,990 --> 00:09:16,230 part of the of the pond and all the sudden. 170 00:09:16,230 --> 00:09:19,830 Like 50 yards that way was a big old bull moose. 171 00:09:19,830 --> 00:09:22,470 Like Gigantic. And my dad was like, Cole, 172 00:09:22,470 --> 00:09:25,430 don't. He was like, don't get too close 173 00:09:25,430 --> 00:09:27,310 to that bull moose. I got too close to the bull 174 00:09:27,310 --> 00:09:31,310 moose. I started kayaking. 175 00:09:31,630 --> 00:09:35,470 I was like, I kayak to about 20, probably like 20 yards away, and 176 00:09:35,470 --> 00:09:40,070 the thing turns and looks at me. And just charges me and I 177 00:09:40,070 --> 00:09:42,750 remember hearing my. Dad, say Cole. 178 00:09:42,750 --> 00:09:44,630 Russell. I thought it was over. 179 00:09:45,910 --> 00:09:47,670 I thought it was. I thought it was over. 180 00:09:47,670 --> 00:09:51,550 This thing just charges me and then like 10 yards away, he. 181 00:09:51,550 --> 00:09:53,550 Peels off. I was like, oh, thank you, 182 00:09:53,870 --> 00:09:56,310 Jesus, Right. This is what the perspective is 183 00:09:56,310 --> 00:09:59,110 of the disciples, right? There's this strong demon 184 00:09:59,110 --> 00:10:01,270 possessed man that's charging them in A. 185 00:10:01,270 --> 00:10:04,550 Couple yards away, he peels off. He falls on his knees before. 186 00:10:04,550 --> 00:10:07,030 Jesus, there's a ton of terrifying things about this 187 00:10:07,030 --> 00:10:08,630 demon possessed man. Amen. 188 00:10:09,910 --> 00:10:12,830 So many. Scary details. 189 00:10:12,830 --> 00:10:16,730 There's like there's like chains hanging from his limbs. 190 00:10:17,170 --> 00:10:18,970 Right. Apparently he was so strong that 191 00:10:18,970 --> 00:10:21,770 whenever people would try and bind him down with chains, they 192 00:10:21,770 --> 00:10:23,490 couldn't. He'd break the shackles. 193 00:10:23,890 --> 00:10:26,970 Got chains hanging over here. Chains hanging on. 194 00:10:27,050 --> 00:10:28,930 Over here, here's a scary detail. 195 00:10:28,930 --> 00:10:32,090 Where does he live among the tubes now? 196 00:10:32,090 --> 00:10:33,210 I don't know what's going on there. 197 00:10:33,210 --> 00:10:36,210 OKI think there's at least a couple things going there some. 198 00:10:36,210 --> 00:10:39,170 People think that he's probably communing with the dead. 199 00:10:39,530 --> 00:10:41,090 I don't know. I think what's happening right 200 00:10:41,090 --> 00:10:42,970 here is that. This is a dude who's been 201 00:10:42,970 --> 00:10:47,840 clearly ostracized from society. In fact, since he lives among 202 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,200 the tombs, it's almost symbolic. I think it's a way. 203 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:55,160 Of saying this dude is dead to the world, and the world is. 204 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,040 Dead to him to get all these terrifying. 205 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:03,000 The dude cries out and screams. Because of all of the internal 206 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,400 anguish. That he experiences in life, I 207 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,280 mean imagine. That you're putting your kids 208 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,670 down to sleep at night. And in the distance you hear 209 00:11:11,670 --> 00:11:14,630 that demon possessed man screaming and crying. 210 00:11:14,630 --> 00:11:17,390 This is some terrifying stuff. Cue. 211 00:11:17,910 --> 00:11:21,950 Cue the horror music, right? The most terrifying thing, I 212 00:11:21,950 --> 00:11:25,590 think, is the fact that this man experiences so much internal 213 00:11:25,630 --> 00:11:30,240 anguish that he's taking rocks and he's cutting himself with 214 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,920 them to relieve himself of that internal pain. 215 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:34,240 This is not. Great stuff. 216 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,080 This dude charges Jesus and the disciples. 217 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:43,080 Peels off a couple yards away, buckles to his knees, buckles to 218 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,800 his knees and says. Jesus, what have you to do with 219 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:52,600 me, Son of the Most High God? And almost unbelievably, nobody 220 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:56,240 cares about this dude's name. This dude is dead to the world, 221 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,880 almost unbelievably, in the face of this demon possessed man. 222 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:02,280 Jesus says. What's? 223 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,800 Your name and the dude, says Frank. 224 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:16,160 Thanks for asking now. I do well with that crowd, 225 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:23,570 Legion, for we are many. Like, oh man, that'll send a 226 00:12:23,570 --> 00:12:27,170 chill down your spine, right? So apparently this demon 227 00:12:27,170 --> 00:12:31,210 possessed man recognizes the messianic identity of Jesus and 228 00:12:31,210 --> 00:12:34,570 begs him not to torment him. So this is not an arm wrestling 229 00:12:34,570 --> 00:12:37,210 match. A lot of times pop culture 230 00:12:37,450 --> 00:12:40,650 portrays God's war with evil as an arm wrestling match. 231 00:12:40,650 --> 00:12:42,530 It's not. This is a. 232 00:12:42,530 --> 00:12:46,570 Being who is so? Far exalted, above the powers of 233 00:12:46,570 --> 00:12:49,100 darkness. That when the powers of darkness 234 00:12:49,100 --> 00:12:53,020 encounter him, all they can do is beg to not be tormented. 235 00:12:59,980 --> 00:12:55,820 Think about that. And so Jesus grants permission 236 00:12:56,020 --> 00:12:59,500 for these demons to exit this man's body, and they go into 237 00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:02,420 the. It's it's not even really 238 00:13:02,420 --> 00:13:05,140 appropriate to say that Jesus casted out the demons. 239 00:13:05,380 --> 00:13:08,980 He simply gave these demons permission, which is incredible 240 00:13:08,980 --> 00:13:11,700 because they discovered some papyrus from ancient Egypt a 241 00:13:11,700 --> 00:13:13,870 long time ago. And what this? 242 00:13:13,870 --> 00:13:18,190 Papyrus has are just all of these long winded instructions 243 00:13:18,190 --> 00:13:21,750 about how to exercise demons right all these spells. 244 00:13:21,750 --> 00:13:24,470 You have to do all of these chants that you have to do in. 245 00:13:24,470 --> 00:13:27,030 Order to exercise these demons. Thank you, sweetheart. 246 00:13:27,630 --> 00:13:29,870 I'm such a bit I was a Pokémon master. 247 00:13:29,870 --> 00:13:32,590 Back in the day, did I ever tell you that I have a? 248 00:13:32,590 --> 00:13:34,830 First addition to. Holographic Char is hard. 249 00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:41,110 So we just gives these demons permission. 250 00:13:41,150 --> 00:13:45,800 It's an unbelievable story and. Then what the herdsman does is 251 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,400 he goes back and he tells the town people, they all come here 252 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,640 and what did they find? It's an unbelievable ending to 253 00:13:52,680 --> 00:13:56,400 an otherwise terrifying story. There's the man who was 254 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:57,960 formerly. Possessed by. 255 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:04,040 And he's sitting there calmly in his right mind, clothed. 256 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:09,240 But at least we get a happy ending, right? 257 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:11,230 Terrifying. Let's dig a little bit deeper. 258 00:14:11,230 --> 00:14:12,470 Okay. There's two things I really want 259 00:14:12,470 --> 00:14:15,430 to dig and do into this story. There were like 5, but clearly, 260 00:14:15,430 --> 00:14:16,790 clearly my voice isn't going to carry. 261 00:14:16,790 --> 00:14:17,910 All that. So let's do 2. 262 00:14:18,190 --> 00:14:21,350 Let's rewind back to the story and here's the 1st. 263 00:14:21,350 --> 00:14:24,230 Question What do these demons call Jesus? 264 00:14:28,590 --> 00:14:31,390 There's a very specific title that these demons use to address 265 00:14:31,430 --> 00:14:25,350 Jesus and. Go ahead and open your Bible. 266 00:14:25,350 --> 00:14:27,630 Look at this is really important verse. 267 00:14:31,990 --> 00:14:33,590 Digging into this I think is going to help. 268 00:14:33,590 --> 00:14:37,270 Us See how deep this story is? Verse 7 Crying out with a loud 269 00:14:37,270 --> 00:14:40,870 voice. He said to Jesus, What have you 270 00:14:40,870 --> 00:14:45,070 to do? With me Jesus, Son of the most. 271 00:14:45,070 --> 00:14:48,430 High God now if you if you got a pen, circle that. 272 00:14:48,430 --> 00:14:49,990 If you got a highlighter, highlight that. 273 00:14:50,030 --> 00:14:52,070 If you have neither, remember that in your head. 274 00:14:52,270 --> 00:14:54,870 He calls Jesus. Son of the most. 275 00:14:54,870 --> 00:14:58,010 High God okay. So to understand this identity, 276 00:14:58,250 --> 00:14:59,410 you've really. Got to understand it from 277 00:14:59,410 --> 00:15:02,530 Jesus's perspective, and in Jesus's time, so being called a 278 00:15:02,530 --> 00:15:06,570 son of God was not just familial, it was an inescapably 279 00:15:06,570 --> 00:15:08,170 militant term. Okay. 280 00:15:08,410 --> 00:15:10,370 It had to. It was kind of a reference to a 281 00:15:10,370 --> 00:15:14,250 military hero, because what a son is in the ancient world was 282 00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:17,050 somebody who represented the father, would inherit the 283 00:15:17,050 --> 00:15:21,370 father's stuff and fought the father's battles for him, Okay. 284 00:15:21,570 --> 00:15:25,170 So it was the representation of the Father, made of the same 285 00:15:25,170 --> 00:15:29,010 substance, made of the same DNA, made of the same stuff, but also 286 00:15:29,010 --> 00:15:31,210 would fight the Father's battles for him. 287 00:15:31,530 --> 00:15:33,690 And that's why when you read the Old Testament, all the 288 00:15:33,690 --> 00:15:36,930 predictions of the Son of God coming in the flesh had to do 289 00:15:36,930 --> 00:15:40,490 with military. Victories if you were a 1st 290 00:15:40,490 --> 00:15:42,890 century. Jew you believe that when the 291 00:15:42,890 --> 00:15:44,890 Son of God came, he would come as a. 292 00:15:44,930 --> 00:15:48,850 War hero, right? As a military victor, you would 293 00:15:48,850 --> 00:15:52,010 think that he came to fight God's battle against the bad 294 00:15:52,010 --> 00:15:53,690 guys. Who are the bad guys? 295 00:15:55,250 --> 00:15:57,610 That's a super easy question. Judy's exactly right. 296 00:15:57,850 --> 00:15:59,370 It's Rome. Right. 297 00:15:59,370 --> 00:16:02,810 Every 1st century Jew would have an easy stock answer. 298 00:16:03,130 --> 00:16:05,730 Roman Ornie, right? And you got to understand why 299 00:16:05,730 --> 00:16:07,810 they thought this right? There were tons of reasons for 300 00:16:07,810 --> 00:16:09,970 thinking this. For instance, Rome was an 301 00:16:10,010 --> 00:16:14,210 ancient superpower, and as an ancient superpower they were not 302 00:16:14,210 --> 00:16:16,410 a democracy or anything close to it. 303 00:16:16,410 --> 00:16:20,210 In fact, Caesar demanded not just allegiance from his 304 00:16:20,210 --> 00:16:23,370 subjects, but worship. An ancient world was. 305 00:16:23,370 --> 00:16:26,440 Happy to give it to him as long as Caesar provided them with 306 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,960 protection, right? As long as it. 307 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:32,240 Provided them with security as long as he provided them with 308 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,280 safety and peace and prosperity. The ancient world was. 309 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,240 Happy to worship Caesar, everybody in the ancient. 310 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,480 World was happy to worship Caesar except for one pesky. 311 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:48,360 Group of people, those pesky Yahweh worshippers, the Jews, 312 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,520 the worshippers of the Triune God of the Bible. 313 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,600 They said, no, we're not going to worship you. 314 00:16:54,390 --> 00:16:56,590 We only worship the God of the Bible. 315 00:16:57,030 --> 00:16:59,550 And Caesar was like, why not? And they were like because we 316 00:16:59,550 --> 00:17:00,990 only worship the God of the Bible. 317 00:17:01,310 --> 00:17:03,390 And he was like, that's dumb. I would have been a. 318 00:17:03,390 --> 00:17:07,829 Really bad history teacher. Clearly there's some heat 319 00:17:07,829 --> 00:17:10,270 though, right? There's some tension between 320 00:17:10,589 --> 00:17:13,990 Rome and and and the Jews. But after a little bit of 321 00:17:13,990 --> 00:17:16,750 dialogue and a lot of deal making, eventually they formed 322 00:17:16,750 --> 00:17:18,710 what was called the Jewish Rome Pact. 323 00:17:18,950 --> 00:17:21,990 This is super important. But just before Jesus was born, 324 00:17:22,150 --> 00:17:24,430 they formed this pact. We're essentially Jewish 325 00:17:24,430 --> 00:17:25,829 leaders. Talk to Roman leaders and 326 00:17:25,829 --> 00:17:28,109 they're like, hey, we're not going to worship. 327 00:17:28,109 --> 00:17:32,230 Caesar as God, but what we will do? 328 00:17:33,050 --> 00:17:36,250 Is pray for Caesar on behalf of our God. 329 00:17:36,490 --> 00:17:39,250 Is that cool? And Rome said That's cool. 330 00:17:39,490 --> 00:17:42,730 But even though they formed and established that Pact. 331 00:17:42,930 --> 00:17:45,970 Obviously, like, obviously, Rome was still. 332 00:17:46,090 --> 00:17:49,210 Super duper Suspicious of the Jews, right? 333 00:17:49,210 --> 00:17:51,930 They were like voted most likely to overthrow Rome. 334 00:17:52,410 --> 00:17:55,050 So that brings in the issue of Roman occupation. 335 00:17:55,050 --> 00:17:59,570 So they send Roman soldiers, Roman army members, Roman 336 00:17:59,570 --> 00:18:02,850 occupation, even the places like Jerusalem, the holy city, and 337 00:18:02,850 --> 00:18:04,490 they. Keep a really, really close eye 338 00:18:04,490 --> 00:18:06,970 on the Jews, making sure that there's no sort of revolt being 339 00:18:06,970 --> 00:18:09,290 planned. So can you feel the tension here 340 00:18:10,290 --> 00:18:12,450 if you were 1st century Jew and and and you saw? 341 00:18:12,930 --> 00:18:15,610 Roman soldiers spying on you, you. 342 00:18:15,650 --> 00:18:16,170 Right. You would. 343 00:18:16,170 --> 00:18:20,450 You would hate Rome, and Rome hated the Jews, and the Jews 344 00:18:20,450 --> 00:18:22,930 hated Rome and Rome hated the Jews. 345 00:18:23,290 --> 00:18:25,650 And so the most natural feeling in the world would be the 346 00:18:25,650 --> 00:18:30,320 feeling of when the Son of God comes, he's going to finally 347 00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:32,960 overthrow the Roman army he's going to. 348 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:37,320 Crush Caesar and will finally experience peace on earth. 349 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,640 When is the divine Warrior King, Son of God coming? 350 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,680 To do that. And here's the Son of the Most 351 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:50,560 High God, and he comes to Earth. And rather than pursuing Caesar 352 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:54,480 and Caesar's army, he approaches a different army, doesn't he? 353 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:59,440 He approaches an. Army of demons that have seized 354 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,000 this one man and you know how. The rest of the story goes he 355 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,200 get, he cast the demons out into the pigs. 356 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,280 Demon pigs. The demon pigs go running off 357 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,480 the Cliff. They crash into the sea and 358 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,840 they're drowned and we get this incredible happy. 359 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,600 Ending to an otherwise terrifying story, there's the 360 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,240 formerly. Demon possessed man. 361 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,600 He's sitting there calmly in his right mind and cloth. 362 00:19:23,050 --> 00:19:26,530 Beautiful ending to the story. The type of feel good ending 363 00:19:26,530 --> 00:19:28,210 that you want to your horror movie, right? 364 00:19:29,810 --> 00:19:33,490 Well, here's the thing. And this is the second detail we 365 00:19:33,490 --> 00:19:38,130 need to rewind to the demons called Jesus the Son of the Most 366 00:19:38,130 --> 00:19:42,850 High God. What do they call themselves? 367 00:19:52,180 --> 00:19:56,780 Verse 9 And Jesus asked him what is your name? 368 00:19:44,730 --> 00:19:49,170 This is where things go from unbelievable to I don't know 369 00:19:49,170 --> 00:20:00,380 what's after that double. And he replied, My name is 370 00:20:00,380 --> 00:20:07,540 legion, for we are many. That's some freaky stuff. 371 00:20:07,540 --> 00:20:11,060 Man, like, I don't know a lot about demons. 372 00:20:11,060 --> 00:20:14,740 I'm not one of those guys who spends every waking hour in my 373 00:20:14,740 --> 00:20:18,060 parents basement studying demonology and putting it up on 374 00:20:18,060 --> 00:20:21,510 whiteboards and stuff like that. Like, that guy's name is Andrew 375 00:20:21,510 --> 00:20:25,830 Self and he lives in Texas. Now I don't know A. 376 00:20:25,830 --> 00:20:28,910 Whole lot about demons, right? If you're like, hey, Cole, yeah, 377 00:20:28,910 --> 00:20:31,630 let's work through this, Okay. So if you're like, hey, Cole. 378 00:20:32,550 --> 00:20:34,230 Do you think? Demons still exist, I'll say, 379 00:20:34,350 --> 00:20:36,630 yeah. Well, why don't we see 380 00:20:36,630 --> 00:20:38,270 experiences like this all the time? 381 00:20:38,750 --> 00:20:40,950 I don't know. Will we? 382 00:20:41,630 --> 00:20:44,310 Maybe. Do you think that'll happen as 383 00:20:44,310 --> 00:20:46,910 things go further and further from modernity into some weird 384 00:20:46,910 --> 00:20:49,420 spirituality? Probably, but I'm not exactly 385 00:20:49,420 --> 00:20:51,180 sure. You don't seem to know a lot 386 00:20:51,180 --> 00:20:52,060 about. Demons, Cole. 387 00:20:52,140 --> 00:20:55,620 No, I don't, but there's a couple details. 388 00:20:55,620 --> 00:20:58,620 That start to come through here, for instance, demons desire to 389 00:20:58,620 --> 00:21:01,540 Incarnate the bodies of humans, right? 390 00:21:01,540 --> 00:21:03,060 I mean that's just that's just clear. 391 00:21:03,220 --> 00:21:06,500 Here's the weird. Thing, though Apparently more 392 00:21:06,500 --> 00:21:10,390 than one demon. Can Incarnate the singular body 393 00:21:10,390 --> 00:21:13,030 of an individual. I'm not sure how that works, but 394 00:21:13,030 --> 00:21:15,270 he says. Legion for We are many. 395 00:21:15,390 --> 00:21:17,870 Some weird stuff in here. Apparently demons can even 396 00:21:17,870 --> 00:21:21,350 Incarnate into the body of animals, in this case, demon 397 00:21:21,350 --> 00:21:22,990 pigs. Again, I don't know what to make 398 00:21:22,990 --> 00:21:27,190 of any of this, but we can dig deeply into this Legion thing if 399 00:21:27,190 --> 00:21:28,030 you got a. Pen, you're. 400 00:21:28,310 --> 00:21:31,350 Going to want to circle that. If you don't remember that 401 00:21:31,510 --> 00:21:33,470 Legion. Here's the deal. 402 00:21:34,020 --> 00:21:36,100 Jesus says what's your name? The demon says. 403 00:21:36,100 --> 00:21:43,700 Legion Legion's not a name. Legion's a term, precisely. 404 00:21:44,180 --> 00:21:46,940 It's a Greek. Term and it's a Greek. 405 00:21:46,940 --> 00:21:51,860 Term that refers to the. Largest segments of the Roman 406 00:21:51,860 --> 00:21:56,300 army. Oh yeah, this is crazy. 407 00:21:56,300 --> 00:21:59,300 OK, so they said. That I, I think, like these 408 00:21:59,380 --> 00:22:00,540 legions. OK, so. 409 00:22:00,540 --> 00:22:02,860 Roman legions would sometimes have up to like 2. 410 00:22:02,860 --> 00:22:07,500 Thousand soldiers in them, sometimes 4000, sometimes 5000 411 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:09,460 soldiers. Now, does that mean that there's 412 00:22:09,460 --> 00:22:11,580 4005 thousand demons in this person? 413 00:22:11,580 --> 00:22:13,460 I don't know. How could I know those types of 414 00:22:13,460 --> 00:22:15,900 things OK? It sounds like I didn't study. 415 00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:17,980 I did. I just don't know. 416 00:22:18,420 --> 00:22:20,300 So there's a. Legion in here. 417 00:22:20,980 --> 00:22:23,860 But here's the thing. Legion isn't a name. 418 00:22:24,830 --> 00:22:28,270 It's a word. It's a Greek word for Rome's 419 00:22:28,270 --> 00:22:30,870 largest armies. Do you see what's going on here? 420 00:22:32,350 --> 00:22:33,910 So they. Thought that when the son. 421 00:22:33,910 --> 00:22:37,910 Of God came, he would. Come establish his Kingdom on 422 00:22:37,910 --> 00:22:42,750 earth with the military victory over Caesar and the Roman 423 00:22:42,750 --> 00:22:44,030 armies. And he does. 424 00:22:45,430 --> 00:22:47,830 It's just not the army. They thought he came to fight 425 00:22:50,590 --> 00:22:52,270 Jesus. Came to fight an army. 426 00:22:52,830 --> 00:22:55,030 They thought they needed to be saved from Caesar. 427 00:22:55,870 --> 00:22:58,070 They thought they. Needed to be saved from Roman 428 00:22:58,070 --> 00:23:05,310 occupation. They wanted him to. 429 00:22:59,550 --> 00:23:02,910 What they needed to be saved from was demon occupation and 430 00:23:02,910 --> 00:23:08,670 their own. Fight the army out there, Jesus. 431 00:23:08,670 --> 00:23:12,350 Came to fight the army in here. You guys with me? 432 00:23:13,350 --> 00:23:16,150 So, Jesus. Keeps the messianic expectation 433 00:23:16,310 --> 00:23:20,710 of the Son of God as the divine warrior and then flips it. 434 00:23:21,590 --> 00:23:25,790 You don't need saved from them. You need saved from this in 435 00:23:25,790 --> 00:23:27,830 here. And what happens next is an 436 00:23:28,070 --> 00:23:31,710 unbelievable foreshadowing of what Jesus will do. 437 00:23:31,710 --> 00:23:35,270 One day he cast the demons off the Cliff. 438 00:23:35,510 --> 00:23:39,470 And drowns them in the abyss. And that is exactly what Jesus. 439 00:23:39,470 --> 00:23:41,030 Is going to do one day when he comes back. 440 00:23:41,030 --> 00:23:43,500 Amen. He's going to return. 441 00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:47,340 As the divine warrior king of God, as the son of the Most High 442 00:23:47,340 --> 00:23:49,460 God. And he's going to take Satan. 443 00:23:49,580 --> 00:23:52,140 He's going to take the devil. He's going to take demons. 444 00:23:52,220 --> 00:23:55,180 He's going to take death and he's going to throw them in the 445 00:23:55,180 --> 00:23:57,780 lake of fire and burn them forever. 446 00:23:57,780 --> 00:24:01,020 It's going to be an amazing moment when he finally cleanses 447 00:24:01,020 --> 00:24:03,100 the world and what will become of us? 448 00:24:03,260 --> 00:24:06,420 We'll be there. Just like that formerly demon 449 00:24:06,420 --> 00:24:10,580 possessed man, we'll be there, sitting there with joy, finally 450 00:24:10,580 --> 00:24:13,660 in our right minds, and finally. Clothed in the righteousness of 451 00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:17,260 Jesus. So there he is. 452 00:24:14,140 --> 00:24:18,940 That's the gospel. He's clothed. 453 00:24:18,940 --> 00:24:21,020 It's. Like finally bro. 454 00:24:21,860 --> 00:24:25,580 Clothed and in his right mind, and we get that happy ending 455 00:24:25,580 --> 00:24:28,340 that we crave. As we watch the horror movie, 456 00:24:28,580 --> 00:24:31,020 finally things end really well, right? 457 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:42,040 Here's where things get scarier. In my opinion, it's easy to. 458 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,880 Look at the demons. And be like that's terrifying. 459 00:24:46,060 --> 00:24:49,980 But I think what happens next is actually the most terrifying 460 00:24:49,980 --> 00:24:54,460 part. The herdsman, he goes to get the 461 00:24:54,460 --> 00:24:57,700 village. People, they come out and what 462 00:24:57,700 --> 00:25:02,700 you expect to happen is Jesus is the divine Son of God. 463 00:25:03,860 --> 00:25:06,860 Let's give our lives. To Jesus, let's exalt. 464 00:25:06,860 --> 00:25:10,700 Him as the most glorious one in the entire cosmos, and what you 465 00:25:10,700 --> 00:25:15,180 see happening should send chills down your bones. 466 00:25:15,730 --> 00:25:21,650 How did they respond? Verse 17 And they begin to beg 467 00:25:21,810 --> 00:25:25,170 Jesus to depart from their region. 468 00:25:28,970 --> 00:25:35,370 That's scarier than demons. That's scarier. 469 00:25:35,810 --> 00:25:38,530 Than the shackles hanging off of his wrists. 470 00:25:39,810 --> 00:25:43,330 That's scarier. Than this man cutting himself 471 00:25:43,330 --> 00:25:45,370 with stones. That's scarier. 472 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,520 Than this man crying out day and night. 473 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:55,560 Apparently it's possible to see the Son of God in the flesh, 474 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:03,800 bring healing and forgiveness and joy and say Jesus get. 475 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:08,920 Out of my life. And so here's the big question 476 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,480 that we need to. Wrestle with this Morning, This 477 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,540 is a hard. Question to wrestle with, but 478 00:26:14,540 --> 00:26:16,700 the the story begs that we wrestle with this. 479 00:26:16,700 --> 00:26:22,580 Question and the question is this Do you love your pigs more 480 00:26:22,580 --> 00:26:26,240 than you love Jesus? It's. 481 00:26:29,870 --> 00:26:32,310 Almost logical from the perspective of the world, right? 482 00:26:32,790 --> 00:26:36,190 Because to us, when we see all of these demon pigs go crashing 483 00:26:36,190 --> 00:26:39,470 into the ocean, we're just like, yeah, way to go, Jesus, that's. 484 00:26:39,470 --> 00:26:47,230 So metal throwing demon pigs off a Cliff, but to this man. 485 00:26:48,060 --> 00:26:51,820 That's his entire financial wellbeing. 2000 pigs. 486 00:26:53,420 --> 00:26:55,900 This man just lost his job because of Jesus. 487 00:26:57,180 --> 00:27:02,500 To the townspeople, that's their lunch for like the next 10 488 00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:05,220 years, and it just went off the Cliff. 489 00:27:05,780 --> 00:27:09,580 To this entire village and to this entire town, they just 490 00:27:09,580 --> 00:27:12,620 experienced economic catastrophe. 491 00:27:12,860 --> 00:27:15,140 Worse. Than the stock market crashing, 492 00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:21,040 so they look at Jesus. And they say get out of our 493 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:29,160 town, so you have to ask. The question this morning Do I 494 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,560 love my pigs more than I love Jesus? 495 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,720 I'm not stupid. I know that you're not a pig 496 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:39,440 farmer, most of you. So let me ask the question in a 497 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,960 way that makes sense on your context in your life. 498 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,340 What is it? That ultimately gives you 499 00:27:47,340 --> 00:27:52,020 comfort and security. That's the question, right? 500 00:27:53,620 --> 00:27:56,220 What makes you feel ultimately safe? 501 00:27:58,460 --> 00:28:00,540 And for some of you, it's your job. 502 00:28:02,300 --> 00:28:03,740 For some of you, it's your spouse. 503 00:28:04,940 --> 00:28:06,740 For some of you, it's a dark pleasure that. 504 00:28:06,740 --> 00:28:09,900 You've been hiding. For some of you, it's an 505 00:28:09,940 --> 00:28:16,290 innocent hobby. What in life ultimately gives 506 00:28:16,290 --> 00:28:19,330 you security? As you think about that. 507 00:28:20,330 --> 00:28:26,570 Honestly, if anything other than God comes to mind, those are 508 00:28:26,570 --> 00:28:29,730 your picks. Those are your picks. 509 00:28:30,930 --> 00:28:34,050 Or to phrase the question theologically, those are your 510 00:28:34,130 --> 00:28:37,410 idols, so idolatry is a word that. 511 00:28:37,410 --> 00:28:39,290 You see in the Bible and what it refers to. 512 00:28:39,290 --> 00:28:44,890 Is anything good or bad that you exalt above the supremacy of 513 00:28:44,890 --> 00:28:47,890 Jesus so? Idols aren't just bad things. 514 00:28:48,290 --> 00:28:50,490 They're also good. Things in the wrong place. 515 00:28:50,890 --> 00:28:54,410 Like 2000 pigs. It's a great thing to be a pig. 516 00:28:54,410 --> 00:28:57,090 Farmer, it's a. Great thing to feed the town 517 00:28:57,090 --> 00:28:59,650 with pork. It's a great thing to be good at 518 00:28:59,650 --> 00:29:02,290 your job. You should be good at your job, 519 00:29:02,650 --> 00:29:06,610 but when you exalt it above the supremacy of Jesus. 520 00:29:07,090 --> 00:29:08,530 That's. When you've got an idol. 521 00:29:09,970 --> 00:29:13,560 So the question we have to ask. This morning is do you love 522 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:15,520 your? Pigs more than you love Jesus. 523 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,240 I mean, what is that like? What? 524 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,720 What? Is that in the human spirit that 525 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,000 could look at A? Who's been? 526 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:31,480 Tormented for the last 10 years of his life, cutting himself 527 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:36,160 crying out screaming. Seeing him get healed and 528 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:37,880 thinking, yeah, but I miss my pigs. 529 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:45,110 What is that? It's idolatry, right? 530 00:29:45,870 --> 00:29:48,750 And the thing about idolatry is that it works predictably. 531 00:29:48,750 --> 00:29:51,950 In all of our. It makes us go out of our. 532 00:29:51,950 --> 00:29:54,470 Right Mind doesn't. It and I. 533 00:29:54,470 --> 00:29:56,510 Don't want you to miss the beautiful literary. 534 00:29:56,950 --> 00:29:59,150 That's in this text, the irony is this. 535 00:29:59,510 --> 00:30:02,750 At the end of the story, it's the demon possessed. 536 00:30:02,750 --> 00:30:05,270 Man who's in his right. Mind in the village people who 537 00:30:05,270 --> 00:30:06,430 are. Out of their minds. 538 00:30:07,550 --> 00:30:09,750 That's the effect that idolatry has on us. 539 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,720 We go out of our minds. And if you don't believe? 540 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,120 Me try and take away just. Go take away somebody's idol and 541 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,480 see how they respond. Right, We go. 542 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:23,640 Out of our minds when our idols get taken away from us and you 543 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:27,360 find yourself in curious places like for. 544 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,000 Instance if you make an. Idol out of your son or 545 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,440 daughter, you might just find that one day when they come back 546 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:36,140 and they're independent. And on fire for. 547 00:30:36,140 --> 00:30:39,540 Jesus, and healthy and happy, you might find yourself saying. 548 00:30:39,540 --> 00:30:44,980 I miss the old you, right? Because that's a version of her 549 00:30:44,980 --> 00:30:49,060 that you could control. It was a virgin of her, that's. 550 00:30:49,380 --> 00:30:53,180 Familiar, you might find yourself saying. 551 00:30:53,340 --> 00:30:55,660 You might find yourself saying to a guy who was formerly 552 00:30:55,660 --> 00:31:01,500 possessed by a legion of demons. I miss Legion, this is. 553 00:31:01,500 --> 00:31:04,740 Craziness, isn't it? It's madness. 554 00:31:05,140 --> 00:31:07,580 What is that? And the thing? 555 00:31:07,580 --> 00:31:10,100 I love about the Bible is that it gives us an answer, right? 556 00:31:10,660 --> 00:31:12,860 Those people weren't demon possessed. 557 00:31:13,060 --> 00:31:16,100 So what? Is that in the human spirit that 558 00:31:16,100 --> 00:31:19,540 responds? That way, in the Bible 559 00:31:19,580 --> 00:31:21,940 unflinchingly gives us an answer to this. 560 00:31:22,260 --> 00:31:24,180 That's your. Human nature and. 561 00:31:25,540 --> 00:31:29,550 It's in you and it's in me. And. 562 00:31:29,670 --> 00:31:32,470 It's in all of us. We're all born with this clay 563 00:31:32,470 --> 00:31:35,270 that's deeply. Fallen One term that Christian 564 00:31:35,270 --> 00:31:37,470 theologians have used to make sense of all of this is the 565 00:31:37,470 --> 00:31:39,830 phrase total depravity. Right. 566 00:31:40,070 --> 00:31:43,310 And it's the understanding not that we're utterly depraved and 567 00:31:43,310 --> 00:31:46,390 can only do evil things. We're like a mess, right? 568 00:31:46,590 --> 00:31:50,630 We're we're made both in the image of God and we're glorious. 569 00:31:50,630 --> 00:31:53,630 But we're also. You know, beset by sin, and we 570 00:31:53,630 --> 00:31:56,870 struggle with stupid. Things we're made of dirt and 571 00:31:56,870 --> 00:31:59,950 spirit and so we we're we have this capacity. 572 00:31:59,950 --> 00:32:02,190 For evil and this capacity for good. 573 00:32:02,430 --> 00:32:04,230 But what total Depravity teaches is that. 574 00:32:04,430 --> 00:32:06,190 Even though we can do great things and good. 575 00:32:06,190 --> 00:32:08,910 Things we can do. Nothing that's not at least a 576 00:32:08,910 --> 00:32:13,390 little bit tainted. By sin and the the way to prove 577 00:32:13,390 --> 00:32:15,470 that to you is honestly, just think about yourself, 578 00:32:15,470 --> 00:32:17,790 soberminded. You've never been able to do 579 00:32:17,790 --> 00:32:21,550 anything with a totally pure totally. 580 00:32:21,550 --> 00:32:25,230 Clean conscience and intention. Everything is tainted by sin. 581 00:32:25,430 --> 00:32:29,830 Cornelius van Til was Reformed theologian in the 1800s. 582 00:32:30,390 --> 00:32:32,590 And Van Til. He explained total depravity 583 00:32:32,590 --> 00:32:34,670 this way, I think. This is the perfect metaphor. 584 00:32:34,830 --> 00:32:39,530 What he says is imagine imagine a glass of water. 585 00:32:40,290 --> 00:32:42,410 And then an eyedropper that drops. 586 00:32:42,410 --> 00:32:44,490 One drop of. Poison into the glass of. 587 00:32:44,490 --> 00:32:49,730 Water, you got that is the glass of. 588 00:32:49,730 --> 00:32:51,490 Water as poisoned as it could be? 589 00:32:51,690 --> 00:32:55,050 No, but. Everything in the glass of water 590 00:32:55,050 --> 00:32:57,770 is. And that means that everything 591 00:32:57,770 --> 00:33:00,730 we do has some. Poison in it, even when we read 592 00:33:00,730 --> 00:33:01,650 our. Bibles, right? 593 00:33:02,970 --> 00:33:04,730 It can be tainted by poison like a man. 594 00:33:04,730 --> 00:33:06,650 I really want to look self-righteous in front of my 595 00:33:06,650 --> 00:33:09,000 Christian friends. Right. 596 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,920 Even when we hold the door open for the elderly, right, there's 597 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,480 this, there's this poison. In there that's like I hope. 598 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,600 Somebody saw me? I hope somebody's going to come 599 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:21,320 pinch my cheeks and tell me I'm mom's special little cowboy and 600 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:23,280 they don't make them like they used to, right? 601 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,280 It's all tainted by some level of sin. 602 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,880 And what I love about the Bible is the Bible just doesn't lie to 603 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,200 us, right? Nowhere in the Bible are you 604 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,560 like hey. You are Mommy's special little. 605 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:38,600 Cowboy, right? The Bible's like, hey, Mommy's. 606 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:40,880 Little special Little Cowboy is totally depraved. 607 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:43,520 And you're like, yeah, that's actually true. 608 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:47,280 That's how the Bible wins us over is by being honest about 609 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:50,560 our nature. So everything that we do is 610 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:52,240 depraved and that means that sometimes. 611 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:53,720 We see. God do amazing things. 612 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:58,440 In the world. And we're like, I miss my pigs. 613 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:05,080 So the question is, do you love your pigs more than you love 614 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:08,620 Jesus? This whole human nature. 615 00:34:09,820 --> 00:34:14,060 It's dark and it's scary, but it's also. 616 00:34:15,460 --> 00:34:18,020 Because. Everybody in this room, we all 617 00:34:18,020 --> 00:34:20,820 are jacked. And we all struggle with sin and 618 00:34:20,820 --> 00:34:22,860 we all have idols that we're working through. 619 00:34:22,860 --> 00:34:25,900 Like if you have something come to mind as your idol this 620 00:34:25,900 --> 00:34:27,500 morning, it doesn't. Make you a freak. 621 00:34:27,540 --> 00:34:31,860 It makes you human, right? It's a totally level. 622 00:34:31,860 --> 00:34:34,219 Playing ground. That's why the Bible says all 623 00:34:34,219 --> 00:34:37,540 have fallen short of the glory of God and all of sin to 624 00:34:37,540 --> 00:34:39,219 perform. And that means that there's 625 00:34:39,300 --> 00:34:44,020 absolutely no way to earn this. God's love can't do it. 626 00:34:44,860 --> 00:34:46,500 You can't earn His love because you can't do. 627 00:34:46,580 --> 00:34:49,300 Anything that's untainted by sin. 628 00:34:50,580 --> 00:34:54,460 There's no way to impress him. There's no way to earn his love. 629 00:34:54,820 --> 00:34:58,580 You can sleep on a bed of Bibles and it won't earn your 630 00:34:58,580 --> 00:35:02,130 salvation. You can go to church twice every 631 00:35:02,130 --> 00:35:03,650 Sunday from now until when you die. 632 00:35:06,490 --> 00:35:05,370 Way to earn your salvation. Can't earn your salvation. 633 00:35:05,650 --> 00:35:09,050 There's. And that literally means that 634 00:35:09,050 --> 00:35:12,850 there's only one way to experience salvation, grace. 635 00:35:14,210 --> 00:35:17,930 That's it. The grace of Jesus is the. 636 00:35:18,050 --> 00:35:20,610 Only way to experience salvation. 637 00:35:20,850 --> 00:35:23,050 And fortunately for us, that's exactly. 638 00:35:23,050 --> 00:35:25,290 What we see in this story, right? 639 00:35:25,370 --> 00:35:30,940 Imagine Legion sprinting down. He's got nothing to offer Jesus, 640 00:35:32,100 --> 00:35:34,460 right he? He's not a church member. 641 00:35:35,260 --> 00:35:40,260 He hasn't memorized the Bible. He hasn't earned anything. 642 00:35:40,460 --> 00:35:43,260 All he does is he collapses in front of Jesus. 643 00:35:43,940 --> 00:35:47,220 And Jesus heals him right and and because of. 644 00:35:47,220 --> 00:35:51,140 Grace and grace alone, this formerly demon possessed man is. 645 00:35:51,140 --> 00:35:54,540 Sitting there in. His right mind clothed. 646 00:35:55,140 --> 00:36:00,160 That's the gospel clothed. Because when you come to Jesus. 647 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,120 You're not just forgiven of your sin, you're clothed in the 648 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:08,200 righteousness of Jesus. All the shackles are gone, all 649 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:09,680 of the scars. Are gone. 650 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,280 You are clothed in the virtue of Jesus. 651 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:15,160 So that when the Father sees you, he sees you. 652 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,120 Covered in the perfection of Jesus, clothed. 653 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:23,080 In your right mind because he doesn't just clothe you, he 654 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:24,680 also. Gives you a new nature. 655 00:36:25,370 --> 00:36:27,250 He gives you a nature that values. 656 00:36:27,250 --> 00:36:30,890 God more than pigs, He gives you a nature that though it's not 657 00:36:30,890 --> 00:36:34,610 perfect, you at least start to hate your sin and you love God 658 00:36:34,850 --> 00:36:38,530 and that's what it means to be saved by Jesus grace. 659 00:36:39,170 --> 00:36:42,890 Clothed in Jesus's. Clothing, given a right mind and 660 00:36:42,890 --> 00:36:45,530 then as you. Begin to walk out this new life 661 00:36:45,530 --> 00:36:47,890 of yours, one of the. Curious things is that. 662 00:36:48,650 --> 00:36:50,370 Not everybody's going to be there to celebrate it. 663 00:36:53,570 --> 00:36:56,220 This is true. Right as you begin to get 664 00:36:56,220 --> 00:36:58,060 transformed into the image of Jesus. 665 00:36:58,060 --> 00:37:01,220 And yet, as you begin to grow in Christ likeness, as you begin to 666 00:37:01,220 --> 00:37:04,860 walk into new life, some people aren't going to like it. 667 00:37:06,340 --> 00:37:08,900 Because it's a version of. You that they can't control. 668 00:37:10,260 --> 00:37:14,220 It's a version of you that feels unfamiliar. 669 00:37:14,900 --> 00:37:17,300 It's a. Version of you that because of 670 00:37:17,300 --> 00:37:21,780 your joy. Because of your holiness and 671 00:37:21,780 --> 00:37:25,810 makes other people feel bad. So rather than being there to 672 00:37:25,810 --> 00:37:28,690 cheer you on and support you. They're going to look. 673 00:37:28,690 --> 00:37:31,650 At you and say I miss the old you. 674 00:37:34,290 --> 00:37:37,490 We don't know what the end of the The Herdsman story is. 675 00:37:37,490 --> 00:37:40,290 You know, we really don't. I couldn't stop thinking about 676 00:37:40,290 --> 00:37:44,930 that this week. I mean, maybe as this dude who 677 00:37:44,930 --> 00:37:46,610 was formerly possessed by demons. 678 00:37:46,690 --> 00:37:48,410 Integrates back into the community. 679 00:37:48,950 --> 00:37:51,470 And maybe he's. Reunited with his his friends 680 00:37:51,470 --> 00:37:53,950 again, maybe he's reunited with his family once again. 681 00:37:57,230 --> 00:37:56,350 Maybe those kids. Maybe his wife finally has her 682 00:37:56,350 --> 00:37:59,830 husband. Finally have their father back, 683 00:38:00,070 --> 00:38:01,630 and he begins to live in his new. 684 00:38:01,630 --> 00:38:04,190 Identity in Jesus, maybe the herdsman. 685 00:38:04,190 --> 00:38:09,190 Begins to think, You know what? Maybe taking away all my pigs. 686 00:38:09,190 --> 00:38:11,230 Was the best thing Jesus? Has ever done for me. 687 00:38:12,950 --> 00:38:15,230 I mean, Jesus is. So committed to your Christ 688 00:38:15,230 --> 00:38:17,970 likeness. That he will Chuck your pigs off 689 00:38:17,970 --> 00:38:20,130 the Cliff. If he needs to, that's how 690 00:38:20,130 --> 00:38:23,610 committed he is. I remember, Sorry, I'm ranting 691 00:38:23,610 --> 00:38:26,530 now. I want to end right here. 692 00:38:28,370 --> 00:38:31,450 About a year ago I was talking to a pastor friend of mine and 693 00:38:31,450 --> 00:38:36,370 he was walking through experiencing his father walk. 694 00:38:36,370 --> 00:38:38,210 Through dementia. And he was. 695 00:38:38,210 --> 00:38:40,050 Talking about what it was like to see his father. 696 00:38:40,050 --> 00:38:43,170 Loses his memory and that hit home. 697 00:38:43,170 --> 00:38:44,970 For me, for a lot of different reasons, but. 698 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,680 He had this conversation with his dad that has just stuck. 699 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:51,720 With me, ever since then, he's talking to his dad about 700 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:54,360 dementia, and this was kind of in the first stages of dementia 701 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:56,480 before his father lost his memory entirely. 702 00:38:57,080 --> 00:38:59,320 And this man said to his son. You know what, Tom? 703 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:07,000 So I look back in my life, I think. 704 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,360 I always made an idol out of my intelligence. 705 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:13,000 Always made an. Idol out of my mind. 706 00:39:14,900 --> 00:39:17,580 I looked at my mind and my intelligence as a reason for not 707 00:39:17,740 --> 00:39:20,860 needing God. I looked at my intelligence as 708 00:39:20,860 --> 00:39:22,900 what made me special and unique in the world. 709 00:39:23,260 --> 00:39:28,380 I think it was an idol of mine, but God is so gracious. 710 00:39:30,660 --> 00:39:32,460 That he's. Finally taking this idol away. 711 00:39:32,460 --> 00:39:44,410 From me so the. Word to describe Jesus causing 712 00:39:44,410 --> 00:39:49,730 an economic catastrophe. And taking away this man's pigs. 713 00:39:50,410 --> 00:39:52,450 The proper word for that is grace. 714 00:39:54,290 --> 00:39:59,610 Because it's it's better to have. 715 00:39:59,730 --> 00:40:04,810 Jesus and lose your memory than it is to keep your memory and 716 00:40:04,810 --> 00:40:08,770 lose Jesus. And so, yeah, they're going to 717 00:40:08,770 --> 00:40:10,690 be. People who look at you and say I 718 00:40:10,690 --> 00:40:14,810 miss the old you. But meditate on this, brother. 719 00:40:15,250 --> 00:40:18,010 Meditate on this, sister, and as you do the rest of the week. 720 00:40:18,010 --> 00:40:20,170 I don't think you'll ever find the bottom of this truth. 721 00:40:20,450 --> 00:40:24,810 Some people will look at you and say I miss the old you, but. 722 00:40:24,930 --> 00:40:30,130 Jesus doesn't miss the old you, and that's what matters. 723 00:40:31,610 --> 00:40:38,810 Heavenly Father, I pray that you would just lavish us this 724 00:40:38,810 --> 00:40:42,650 morning with grace, the grace that forgives us of our sins, 725 00:40:42,650 --> 00:40:45,330 the grace that clothes us in your righteousness. 726 00:40:45,780 --> 00:40:50,260 The grace that makes us sons and daughters of the living God, and 727 00:40:50,260 --> 00:40:54,220 the grace that. Loves us so much that is willing 728 00:40:54,220 --> 00:40:56,140 to. Throw our pigs off the Cliff. 729 00:40:56,140 --> 00:40:58,820 If need be, it's in the precious name of. 730 00:40:58,820 --> 00:41:00,460 Jesus that we pray for. These things. 731 00:41:00,940 --> 00:41:01,340 Amen.